Using Gridded Blocks

A while ago I bought gridded blocks from Inkadinkadoo.  I bought them because they were chunky and sturdy, and came in the sizes I needed.  The grids were nice-to-have, but I didn't really use them. Recently I had the chance to put the grids to good use.

I was approached by The Stampers' Sampler to submit some cards using the "Have a Seat" stamp set from Stampin' Up.  I have always loved this stamp set.  I used the grids to set up the three small chairs to create my own background paper.

Using VersaMark and CrumbCake on Very Vanilla cs, I stamped the chairs in a dropped pattern (where the Windsor chair was in one column, it was dropped down one chair in the next column).  Then, I swirled Perfect Pearls over the chairs.  I stamped the bench on a scrap of Very Vanilla, fussy cut it, and popped it up.  I dipped the Tim Holtz grungeboard letters in Pool Party, Kiwi Kiss and River Rock, then glued them on.

Mojo Monday 190

I have heard the term "Mojo Monday" ever since I started looking at cards on the Internet, but am finally playing along.  The card layout was irrestible.  I "saw" the card in my head almost immediately.  It went together so quickly!  Here's my submission:

I never get tired of this Tim Holtz die.  The bird is a little roughed-up, a little edgy, not cutsey-pie.  I used my favourite colour combination of Baja Breeze and brown.  The bird is stamped with the flourish from Friends 24-7, and the flowers come from Vintage Vogue.  Three scraps of K and Co paper were scallop-punched and inked with Soft Suede.  The text in the background is from an old novel.  The sentiment, stamped in white and embossed in white is from Pocket Silhouettes.

Play Time with Christine!

Whenever I go to Christine's, it's just plain fun.  Well, how could it not be?  We have stacks of paper, pads of ink in every colour (but pink -- right, Christine?) stamp sets galore....and we go to it!

This time I wanted to try a brayer technique.  I guess my ink pads need re-juicing because I got a very sketchy result that perfectly framed the tree.  If I had wanted to get this effect, I couldn't have planned for it!  Our spring has been very slow in coming, and I think the grey sky perfectly mirrors the weather outside.

I put painter's tape in a rectangle on the white cardstock, and rolled Going Grey and Bordering Blue over the card.  After I removed the tape, I stamped the tree.  I should have used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place the bird, but didn't.  The sentiment is a rub-on.  I matted the white with Baja Breeze, and mounted it on a Not Quite navy card base.  All supplies are SU.

I also created this:

I love this stamp!  After stamping with Pear Pizzazz ink on Very Vanilla, I stamped again on DSP.  I paper-pierced the pattern pieces, matted with a scrap of Pear Pizzazz and mounted it on a Very Vanilla card base.  The sentiment is a rub-on.  I don't normally do clean and simple cards, but I love the look of this card.

Ink Stains by Roni

Have you discovered this blog yet?  http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/  Roni Johnston is the creative writer, and she shares her fantastic talent every day.  I never miss it!  She covers all techniques, and shows some that are unique.  I find her inspirational, and I know you will too!

Ready for Mothers' Day!

Spring has been so long coming this year, but now I have definitive proof that it is happening.  I heard the peepers in the pond singing!!  And there is not a sliver of ice in the water (but I'm sure it's cold!).

To celebrate spring, I used Jamilla's Petal Pizzazz set to make a bunch of flowers to send to my mother.  In hindsight (ie, too late now that it's glued down) I would add a strip of green ribbon where the green crystals are.

And I found out I need new ink!  Suddenly, I don't like any of the irky-murky colours I have, and want all new ones.  Are you listening, Jamilla?

Make Your own Ink pad

I used the Tim Holtz technique of making your own ink pad to make multiple stamping of the same image.  It was surprisingly easy!

You need a piece of Cut'n'Dry Foam the exact size of your stamp block.  (You can also use Cut'n'Dry Felt)

Stamp the image on the foam using Staz on ink.  Then, with reinkers, ink over the areas you want to colour.  For instance, on the Razzle Dazzle image I used below, I coloured the flowers and leaves different colours.  Don't worry if the ink spreads.  Your stamp won't pick it up.

Then, use your pad to stamp!  You might need to refresh the ink occasionally.  Because the pad is the exact size of the stamp, your stamp is automatically positioned to pick up the right ink.

If you want to keep the ink pad, slide it into a baggie, and label the stamp it goes with on the bag.  Because, the ink pad doesn't really resemble the stamp!

Springtime smiles

Another night of card making and talking at Christine's, though maybe I should say talking and card making.  'Cos we do a lot of talking!

Christine had a challenge to make an Easter card using SU's Regal palette.  Not what you'd call Easter colours, or even spring colours for that matter, but she did a beauty.  She masked off areas and stamped and sponged with More Mustard.  Then, she moved her post its, and sponged again using Always Artichoke.  It was really amazing!

I was influenced by her colour palette, and did this quick card, using the new SU paper.  It's really lovely.  Usually I like only one or two patterns in the dp pack, but this time it's the reverse -- I dislike only 2 or 3 patterns.  Gonna be way useable!

Oh, by the way.  The Stampers' Sampler comes out on April 1, and I have a three page spread highlighting my texture plates.  Check it out!

Another cool tip

The internet if full of brilliant people.  I should pay more attention to the "who" and the "where", but I get all caught up in the "how stinkin' clever is that?".  Here's one of those:

Sorry for the crooked image!

Here's the cool thing!  The "lace" is made from the Medallion background stamp.  I kid you not.
Stamp the medallion.  I used Crumbcake and rolled the edges in Soft Suede.  Stamp on white.  Fussy cut the edges, and cut out a wedge (mine was about a 1/6 of the circle) and the centre.  Now, get nasty with it.  distress it, crumple it, run it through your crimper lots -- you want to break the fibres down.  When it's good and pliable, run a strip of This to That tape on the card, and pleat the lace strip as you go along the tape.  Don't press down because you will need to spread the pleats out along the tape. When you're happy, burnish it with your finger.

I used the Vintage Spring paper from SU and the bench stamp from Have a Seat.  The Hello is from Scenic Route.  It needed something, so I added a line of Silver Glass glitter from Stampin Up.

Red and Black Collage

Sometimes, you just don't know how something will turn out.  I had a card base, I had a rub on.  I put the two together, and thought, "Well, now what?"

I had made the little flower when at my play date with Christine.  (Sorry, I saw a YouTube tutorial about it, but I don't know whose).  I took a 6" piece of Stampin' Up's Riding Hood Red grosgrain ribbon, folded it in half, and basted along the selvedge edges.  I pulled the basting up tight, tied it, and then cut into the ribbon about 1/4" - 3/8" inches.  Pull at the cut edges to get the feathery threads to stick out, add a brad, and -- ta da!  Another version of a ribbon flower.

Anyway, the flower was on my desk, staring at me.  I had made a rosette for this card, but wasn't feeling it.  I tried the flower, and that was that!  There was a scrap of red organza in my ribbon basket, and an even smaller scrap of this sticky-backed black check ribbon from Offray.  Done and done!  The Quietfire Designs diamond border in Onyx and Riding Hood Red stamped dictionary birds from Stampington finished it.

A Thank You

I love the days I get to play with Christine!  It's a great sharing time.  This time I learned another way to make ribbon roses (I'll show them off on a card soon), how to emboss a "hole" so that you end up with an embossed frame around an image and we looked at some great sites.  As for getting much done ... well, this card looks simple, but I made heavy work of it!

I used the Sweet Stitches paper and fabric from Stampin' Up.  I chose a corner of the dp, matched the 'stitches' with So Saffron c/s and added a layered label with a sentiment from the "You're a Gem" set.  I made the fabric by taking a 2.5 x 6" piece of fabric, teasing the edges to fray them, folding it in half lengthwise, basting, and pulling the basting tight.  I popped a fabric-covered brad in the middle.  Cute, no?

Stamping Royalty -- Not!

I was working towards getting some cards ready for the Stamping Royalty competition at Paper Crafts Magazine.  Then I looked at the calendar.  The cards need to be in the office by next Friday -- not going to happen!  Because their rules say that the cards cannot be on any website or blog, I have not been posting as I complete them.  So today, you get them all!  I am going to submit them to The Stampers' Sampler "Feeling Themeless" catagory.

From the top:
A Seat for a Friend
Paper:  SU Night of Navy, Sage Shadow.  Staples White c/s
Ink: SU Distressing Inks in Blue, Tea Stain, Early Expresso
Stamps:  SU Have a Seat, You're a Gem
Accessories: cotton twine, wooden button

Spotlight Bird

Paper:  SU Metallic Bronze.  Staples White c/s.  K and Co dp

Ink: SU Distressing Inks in Tea Stain, Soft Suede

Stamps:  SU Nature Walk, French Foliage

Accessories: Staedler watercolour pencils.  Waste plastic.  Copper tape.  SU Seam Binding ribbon

Enjoy

Paper:  SU Very Vanilla, Natural

Ink: SU Blush Blossom, Certainly Celery

Stamps:  SU You're a Gem, Charming

Accessories: SU ribbon, Cuttlebug texture plate, felt flowers (hand made)

Happy Bird-day

Paper:  SU Very Vanilla.  Staples White c/s. K and Co dp

Ink: SU River Rock, Crumb Cake, Kiwi Kiss

Stamps:  Inkadinkadoo

Mask: Heidi Swapp, hand made dots

Accessories: Tim Holtz Tissue Tape, dollar store pearls, SU label punch

Brian's Valentine

My husband is off to Montebello, Quebec, to look at airplanes.  They park the planes on the ice, and the show is outdoors.  Funny -- I elected to stay home and look after the animals!  I've made this valentine for him when he comes home.

The ruffle idea came from Roni Johnson at Inkstains with Roni.  One of my favourite blogs!  She has more ideas in a week than I'll dream off in months.  She sews crepe paper streamers, ruffling as she goes, then spritzes, stamps, and glitters it to perfection.
The heart is a stamp from Flourishes.  I stamped first in Apricot Appeal, then overstamped with Early Expresso.  It gives a bronzy effect.  Underneath is a stencilled flourish from SU, which is done in Champagne Shimmer ink.  The card base is Creamy Caramel and some Bobunny dp.  I stamped the ruffle before I sewed it with French Script and Chocolate Chip.  I trimmed the edges with scallop scissors, ruffled it, and then dipped the edges in Creamy Caramel smooshed on my craft mat and spritzed with Vanilla Perfect Pearls.
Inside, I stamped the sentiment from the Flourishes set with Perfect Medium, and then went over it with gold Perfect Pearls.

Glitzy -- but he's worth it!

June Pfaff Daley: Sweet Sweater Rosettes

June Pfaff Daley: Sweet Sweater Rosettes

I have been looking all over the Internet for these roses. Thanks, June! I am off to try them. Stay tuned for the results.

Matt's Valentine

My desk mate and friend, Mathew, deserves a special valentine.  I made a set of cards for him at Utreat this past weekend, and he used one to introduce himself to a yummy man he met in the grocery store.  Perhaps he can slip this shimmery Valentine into his dreamboat's pocket!

Card base: Kraft, Bordering Blue (SU), white cardstock (Staples)
Stamps:  Elements of Style (SU), How Do I Love Thee
Stencil: Carte Postale (SU)
Ink: Weathered Wood (Ranger Ink), Crumbcake Classic, Shimmer (SU)
Accessories:  ribbon, shimmer brad (SU), key (Michaels)

Thanks to my friend, Christine, who let me come over to play today.  This card turned out so well because of her influence!

One Man's Garbage...

I learn a lot from watching Tim Holtz in action. One thing he did for the Twelve Tags of Christmas for 2010 was run some scrap plastic through his die cutter with a texture folder. Here's what I did with that idea...Bonjour

I rescued a piece of plastic packaging material from the scrap bin, trimmed it of any bumpy bits, and ran it through my Big Shot with a CuttleBug texture folder. It looked like a leaded window to me. I decided to use it as a window to peek into a garden of roses. I used my new Baby Blossoms two-stage stamps to create a bit of early summer in January. I like the combination of Real Red with Sahara Sand.

Ribbon Organizer

I saw an organizer when I was in Florida that looked like a make-up bag -- but a hairy one. It was a ribbon organizer. The walls of the bag were perforated with eyelets, and ribbons were laced through each eyelet. AT $25.00, I thought it was a bit rich for what it was.

I planned to modify a makeup bad I owned, but I realized that I wouldn't get the cropodile down far enough to punch the holes. So, I raided my fabric stash, and here's the result:

I punched rows of eyelets, sewed the seam, added a drawstring (that's the orange seam binding) and filled the bag with ribbons. To use, I just pull!